Where to Go Next: Las Vegas | April 2005

Food & Wine

April 01, 2005

Best New Restaurants

Bouchon With this branch of his modestly priced Napa restaurant Bouchon, superstar chef Thomas Keller (of the French Laundry in Napa and Per Se in New York City) has brought an authentic bistro feel to Las Vegas. The near-perfect dining room, designed by Adam Tihany, is all dark wood and French tiles; the menu of brilliantly executed classics like roasted chicken and trout amandine hits all the right notes, with most entrées priced under $25. DETAILS The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-414-6200.

Fleur de Lys and Burger Bar Fans of chef Hubert Keller (of San Francisco's Fleur de Lys) can get a double dose of his cooking in Vegas now that he has opened two places. At the elegant Fleur de Lys, he creates playful dishes like "blackjack" of cod brandadearranged to look like playing cardsalong with more sober but equally unforgettable creations like slow-roasted Alaskan king salmon on cauliflower couscous. At Burger Bar, he serves beef, lamb, turkey and salmon burgersand a $60 Wagyu beef burger with black truffles. DETAILS Fleur de Lys, Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-632-9400. Burger Bar, Mandalay Place, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-632-9364.

Mix in Las Vegas Chef Alain Ducasse's restaurants are known for exorbitant prix-fixe menus, but at Mix, it's possible to keep the bill in the two-figure range. Entrées like the beef tenderloin with potato galette and black-truffle sauce or roasted Maine lobster "au curry" hover around $50. But you can also grab a table in the lounge (where the menu has items for less than $20) and enjoy the same 43rd-story views of the Strip as customers paying a lot more in the dining room. DETAILS Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-632-9500.

Mesa Grill TV chef Bobby Flay's vibrant Southwestern cuisine is a natural fit for Vegas. At this offshoot of his popular New York City restaurant, you can order his blue-corn pancakes with barbecued duck along with one of 51 premium tequilas. DETAILS Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-731-7731.

Wynn Las Vegas For his two-billion-dollar resort opening this month, former Bellagio owner Steve Wynn has assembled an incredible lineup of restaurants. The roster includes a number of places headed by former F&W Best New Chefs: Daniel Boulud Brasserie; SW Steakhouse, helmed by Eric Klein, formerly of Maple Drive in Los Angeles; Alex, run by Alessandro Stratta of Vegas's Renoir; and Okada, headed by Takashi Yagihashi, previously at Tribute near Detroit. DETAILS 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; 702-770-7000.

Best Deal Off the Strip

Ping Pang Pong This busy Chinese restaurant, housed in a casino where the locals gamble, may be the only place in town with evening dim sum (prices start at around $2). But the best reasons to come here are the charcoal-grilled lamb chops and Night Market fried rice with beef and hot chiles. DETAILS Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, 4000 W. Flamingo Rd.; 702-367-7111.